LADOT: Of Course We’re Going to Patch the Spring Street Green Lane

One week ago, LADOT and city politicians opened the Spring Street Green Buffered Bike Lane to a flock of media and the appreciative roar of the L.A.’s cycling community. One week later, cheers have turned to grumbling as the green paint has dissolved in areas, gotten blotchy in others and basially looks like Long Beach’s Green Sharrowed Lane after a year of wear and tear from cars and bikes.

The culprit appears to be an overanxious LADOT who wanted to have the lanes ready for the Monday press conference, even though the weekend preceding the Monday event was a wet one. In the week preceding the press event, officials warned that the conference could be moved if weather didn’t allow the painting to occur over the weekend. Quality of paint shouldn’t have been an issue as L.A. spent $50,000 for the green paint job (according to the Times[3]) which is ten times what Long Beach spent on its Green Sharrowed Lane[4].

Meanwhile other commuters are grumbling that the green paint, where it does remain, masks some large and deep potholes. One reader, who I do not have permission to quote by name, wrote of the potholes and paint:

These conditions suggest that the creation of this lane is about a DOT that isn’t truly committed to better bike infrastructure, but instead is about political PR. Otherwise, basic standards of construction and user safety would have been employed. While the lane’s design is strong, the execution is exceptionally weak.

For its part, the LADOT is guaranteeing that lane will be repainted soon. “Rest assured LADOT crews will be back to touch up spots on Spring St,” writes Bruce Gillman, the LADOT spokesperson. “We are awaiting new paint to be delivered and a stint of dry weather to assure second application gets put down without too much moisture present.”